Trauma is not just psychological—it physically changes the brain and body. Key Brain Structures Involved Structure Role in Trauma Amygdala Detects threats; hyperactive in trauma → fear, hypervigilance, emotional reactivity Hippocampus Contextualizes memories; trauma can reduce volume → fragmented, intrusive memories Prefrontal Cortex (PFC) Executive function, emotional regulation; trauma → impaired top-down control Anterior Cingulate Cortex… Read More The Neurophysiology of Trauma

Alcohol can have a profound and often counterproductive impact on trauma recovery, both neurologically and psychologically. Here’s a detailed breakdown: 1. Nervous System Impact Trauma leaves the nervous system hypervigilant. Alcohol: 2. Memory & Trauma Processing Essentially, alcohol blocks the brain from integrating the trauma safely. 3. Emotional Dysregulation 4. Interpersonal Impact 5. Risk of Re-traumatization 6. Why… Read More Memory & Trauma Processing

When you’re traumatised, your nervous system is not choosing behaviour — it’s protecting you. So what looks like “wrecking the relationship” is often: None of this is character failure.It’s unhealed threat memory meeting intimacy. Why trauma sabotages something that matters Trauma does three things in relationships: 1. It mistakes closeness for danger When connection deepens, the body remembers:… Read More What “messing up” in trauma really is

When family members join in the abuse — sending threatening emails, insults, or manipulative messages — it creates a compound trauma effect. This goes far beyond emotional pain: it directly affects the nervous system, memory processing, and psychological recovery. Here’s a neuroscience- and psychology-informed breakdown. 1️⃣ Safety Signals Are Undermined Normal function: Family is usually the “safe base” for emotional… Read More Safety Signals Are Undermined

When someone continuously breaks a restraining order, it’s not just a legal violation — it’s a direct assault on the nervous system, and it profoundly affects trauma recovery. I’ll break it down using neuroscience and psychology, step by step. 1️⃣ SAFETY SIGNALS ARE DESTROYED Neuroscience Impact: The nervous system never settles, so healing pauses or reverses. 2️⃣ TRAUMA MEMORY REMAINS… Read More Safety is the soil of healing